The last twinge of her diaphragm easesâthe last threat of a continued giggle-fitâ as the quiet admittance comes from the man beside her. His face, down to those ebony eyes, is strained and Serena canât help but feel that earlier feeling of guilt flare up; her crux of humor had once again offset someone.
I wonder if he knows that honesty and openness donât always go hand-in-hand? That the only time where both of those qualities are mandatory is with yourself. Something that those few words, coming from a burdened mind, confirmed for her.
Though the witch casts those wandering thoughts aside with a small shake of her head, chestnut curls tickling her face in the process. After all, they are here for a friendly chat and Ace appeared to be easing back in after her blunder. No need to be muddling into private matters and jeopardize that.
Her own smile begins to mirror his as the captainâs enthusiasm grew but falters at the almost-grimace the man makes after a sip of his drink. âGrossâ; Simple, clear, honest. An eyebrow upturns in amusement over the rim of her glass as she takes another hit of citrus across her pallet.
âPerhaps just a bit. But you had your reasonsâ, she admits, setting her glass back down beforeâŚsliding it over towards him. âWould you like to try mine? Maybe itâs more to your liking?â
The fledgling takes the heavier whiskey glass in the exchange, playing with it as Ace had done, âThough, just so you know, thereâs no alcohol in thatâ. Her lower lip was rolled between her teeth and, for that moment, it was difficult to look at him, instead opting to watch how the color of the swirling whiskey changed with the lighting.
âTruth be toldâŚI canât âhold my liquorâ well and I hoped to be with you for a couple roundsâŚwould be absolutely mortified if you had to help me home after one too manyâ. It was now her turn to hold a sheepish tone, pewter eyes flickering between him and his drink in her hands. What impulse drove her to carry that glass to her lips was beyond her but soon a potent, almost pungent bitterness hit the back of her throat and, unlike her company, a cough or two escaped her. Though the coughing gradually transitioned into a chuckle as the glass rested back onto the counter. âNot entirely sure why I thought I would hold up better than you.â, his company confessed with a playful lit to her voice.
When Ace has eventually asked her about herself it resulted in a contemplative hum. The type of placeholder that stalls as one is summarizing something either long or complex. âIâm not terribly interesting, Iâm afraid.â, she lied out of impulse. There are just certain things that you donât bring up in casual conversation and, unfortunately, Serena had many of those âthingsâ interwoven into her life.
âI make a living out of collecting information, making sure my colleagues are well informed to be able to do their tasks to the best of their ability.â The fact that she neglected to mention exactly how she obtained that information was but an oversight.
âUmmâŚI grew up on Crescent Cliff Isle, a decently sized island towards the beginning of the grand lineâbest known as a trade hub. Though I canât say my time there was any more exciting: I completed my schooling, kept the house together while my father worked full time to support us, and kept myself entertained. The inner city was always bustling and, if that didnât suit my interests, my neighbor, Ms. Bemuth, allowed me to take her saga deer out riding. The rolling hills, just before you hit the cliff faces were something to behold all rightâŚâ, her smile grew softer, nostalgic.
But just like her reality the sounds of pleading screams and the sensation of bare heels being dragged through the dirt pulled her away from such pleasant memories, âByâŚunforeseeable circumstances, I was forced away for a number of years before I could make it back to my home town. By which I met my current crew and now we are sailing from island to island together. Which is enjoyableâ.
Once she summarized her story in a way she hoped satisfying, his company rested her elbows on the countertop, tilting her head in curiosity towards Ace, âIâm tempted to ask the same of you but I do know a handful of things about you already. Now the question is if they are nothing but rumors~â. That playful, potentially flirtatious, tone carried on her words.